Advancing Word Podcast

In 1 Timothy.  Chapter 1, verses 12 - 17, after a negative litany and listing of the sins that the Law condemns, the Apostle Paul, formerly Saul, reverses course and shares with his son in the ministry Timothy, what should have been obvious, that when God found him, he was a mess!  He erupts in praise and thanksgiving at the remembrance of this because he knows that his mess became his message because of God's sovereign plan, sufficient provision and selective pattern.  This can be your experience as well.  Give God whatever you have in your heart or hand and watch God work!   

October 20, 2026, marked the Sixth Anniversary of the Advancing Word Podcast!  Since 2020, the podcast has reached 115 countries and 822 cities around the world!  GOD IS SO GOOD!  We are thankful for the doors God has opened wide for us to share the Word and grateful to every listener for your prayers and support.  This segment is from our Legacy Collection. David’s faith exudes high-definition clarity and comprehension as he affirmed God’s sovereign authority, sobering appraisal, satisfying availability and searching apprehension of his life in Psalm 139.  If we would see more clearly God's plans and purposes for our lives, we should follow his example.  

In our modern society, much attention is given to the things we must live without.  Yet it is the things we must live with that present the greatest difficulty and challenge.  In 2 Samuel 9, we meet Mephibosheth, a man who, because of a tragic deformity, lived with a limp.  But because of grace, though he was crippled, he was carried and covered as he found himself seated at the king’s table.  In many ways, his story is our story, and it is especially the story of those who serve us.  As we celebrate Clergy Appreciation Month, this segment is dedicated to our pastors and preachers, ministers and missionaries, who often carry limps of their own while faithfully leading others to the King’s table.        

In Psalm 139, David pauses to consider the wonder of his relationship with God—and what he discovers still speaks powerfully to us today.  God knows us completely, remains present with us everywhere, and works purposefully in our lives.  Those truths meet two of the deepest struggles of our age: meaninglessness and loneliness.  God’s awareness assures us that we are fully known.  His presence comforts us with the promise that we are never alone.  And His activity calls us to live with purpose.  

In Part 2 of “The Parable of the Seed,” a sermon rooted in Jesus’s words in John 12:23–24, Dr. T. D. Stubblefield reflects on the moment when a group of Greeks sought an audience with Jesus.  Through the vivid metaphors of the seed’s determined death and dynamic duplication, he explores what it means to pattern our lives after the Savior.  Our lives may begin as seeds, but they become fruitful only when we willingly plant them in the fertile soil of God’s will. 

In John 12:23–24, Jesus gives a profoundly significant response to a group of Greeks who wanted “to see Him.”  Through a vivid agricultural metaphor, He reveals the heart of the Gospel and the purpose of His mission on earth.  While Jewish expectations of the Messiah centered on glory, conquest, power, authority, and victory over their enemies, Jesus teaches that it is the sacred seed of His death that will yield the harvest of salvation.  In the first installment of this two-part message, Dr. T. D. Stubblefield explores this powerful principle and its enduring significance.  

This week’s segment reflects on the powerful story of the woman with the issue of blood, recorded in Mark 5 and echoed in Matthew and Luke.  Though her name is never given, her story speaks to every person who has ever carried private pain, long-term struggle, or desperate hope.  After twelve years of suffering, she presses through the crowd with remarkable faith, believing that one touch of Jesus’ garment would make her whole.  Her silent reach becomes a bold testimony: when faith draws near to Christ, God’s presence, power, and purpose can meet us in the very place of our need.

The solar eclipse of August 21, 2017, gave many people near St. Louis, Missouri, a rare opportunity to witness totality.  But as unforgettable as that moment was, it pales in comparison to the encounter described in John 12:20–26, when a group of Greeks came to Jerusalem seeking an audience with Jesus.  In this segment, Dr. Stubblefield explores how they were drawn by the attraction of His person, the activity of His passion, and the anticipation of His preeminence—and how that same invitation still speaks to us today.

In 2 Corinthians 4:7, the Apostle Paul makes a bold claim as he defends his ministry against those who questioned his credentials as an apostle of Jesus Christ.  Fully aware of his own failures, frailties, and fragility as an “earthen vessel,” Paul recognizes that God’s power enabled him to share the treasure of the Gospel with others.  By God’s grace, he was too blessed to fail.  What matters most is not what we do, but what God does in and through us.

In 2 Kings 20:1–6, God sends the prophet Isaiah to tell King Hezekiah, “Set your house in order, for you shall die.”  This alarming message drives Hezekiah to fervent prayer.  Before Isaiah leaves the court, God hears the king’s prayer and sends the faithful prophet back with a new word: Hezekiah will live fifteen more years.  Hezekiah prayed past his problem—and if you are facing doubt, difficulty, debt, disappointment, depression, disease, or even death, you can too.  Listen to this message and discover how prayer becomes God’s express lane through the heavy traffic of life.